CORN
The USDA September 1st stocks report was considered bearish against expectations with stocks coming in well above trade expectations and even well above the range of expectations. September 1st stocks were pegged at 1.708 billion bushels, about 300 million above trade expectations. This is also the ending stocks for the 2009/2010 season which was last reported in the September supply/demand report at 1.386 billion bushels. Traders have suspected a bearish report this week as the increase may just be accounted for with the early harvest for corn this year.
PRICE OUTLOOK: The news is bearish but the impact is still in question as the market realizes that most or all of the increase in stocks above expectations may be due to the early harvest of some fields this year and the total lack of any harvest last year as of September 1st. Traders are calling the market 7-12 lower on the opening but if 489 1/2 support for December corn holds early, we would not rule out a higher close today as the market senses that the stocks
news is flawed with new crop corn.
SOYBEANS
The USDA September 1st stocks report was considered slightly negative against expectations with stocks coming in just slightly above expectations but well within the range of estimates. September 1st stocks, also ending stocks for the 2009/2010 season came in at 151.1 million bushels as compared with 138 million last year and expectations for 350 million for September 1st of 2011. The report news is very neutral but corn stocks were well above expectations and this may be seen as negative.
PRICE OUTLOOK: The sharp 3-day break helped to alleviate some of the overbought condition of the market but futures still need to absorb increased selling pressures from producers due to harvest and the possibility of increased fund trader long liquidation selling into the end of the month. Selling resistance for November soybeans comes in at 1113 1/2 today with 1068 3/4 and 1051 as next targets.
WHEAT
The USDA’s Grain Stocks and small grains summary reports were considered mixed to bullish for wheat this morning with the opening call at unchanged to 4 cents higher. US all-wheat production for 2010/11 was lowered to 2.224 billion bushels from the previous estimate of 2.265 billion. Hard red winter wheat was lowered 11 million to 1.018 billion. Soft red production was lowered fairly sharply to 237.8 million bushels from 260.0 million. Spring wheat was lowered to 626.9 million from 633.0 million. On the quarterly Grain Stocks report pegged all-wheat stocks as of September 1st at 2.459 billion bushels, about 35 million bushels above trade expectations.
PRICE OUTLOOK: The report news was slightly supportive but may not change the trend.




















USDA Supply & Demand Review – 2010.09.10
by Research on September 10, 2010
Soybeans
PRICE OUTLOOK: Strong demand from China with another revision higher of 3 million tonnes in imports for this year to a record 55 million helped to hold down the world ending stocks estimate to just above last year and two years ago, but it is still a record. Record yield in the US and a jump in ending stocks are seen as negative forces, but corn numbers were supportive, which should help soybeans avoid a significant collapse. Resistance for November soybeans is at 1050 with 1032 3/4 and 1025 1/4 as support. Look for lower trade into the harvest.
Corn
The USDA Supply/Demand Report this morning was considered neutral to supportive against expectations with the market called to open 3 cents higher. Average yield was pegged at 162.5 bushels per acre as compared with trade estimates near 163 bushels per acre and 165 by the USDA last month. This pushed corn production down to 13.160 billion bushels as compared with trade expectations near 13.200 billion and down 205 million bushels from last month (13.365 billion bushels). The USDA pegged 2010/11 corn ending stocks at 1.116 billion bushels compared with trade expectations near 1.110 billion and last month’s USDA estimate of 1.312 billion bushels. This results in a stocks/usage number of 8.3%. This ratio has been under 10% just two other times since 1973. World corn ending stocks were revised down by about 3.6 million tonnes from last month to 135.56 million tonnes. China production was left unchanged at 166 million tonnes. Of more concern could be the revision down in world coarse grain ending stocks to just 166 million tonnes as compared with 172 million tonnes last month, 180 million in July, 187 million last year and 193.8 million two years ago. This opens the door for further revisions higher in corn exports from the US in coming months. US Corn exports were revised higher by 50 million bushels this month to 2.1 billion bushels from 2.05 billion last month and 1.98 billion last year. Feed usage was revised down by 100 million bushels to 5.25 billion bushels from 5.35 billion last month.
PRICE OUTLOOK: The report was mostly neutral against expectations, but there is the possibility for many bullish revisions in the months ahead. Traders see export and feed usage numbers as possibly too low, and traders also see the yield estimate coming down in future reports. The 8.3% stocks to usage ratio is already the tightest since the 1994/95 season and the second tightest since 1973. Keep 480 and 493 as the next upside objectives for December corn, and don’t rule out 550-600 if yield comes down in the October report.
Wheat
PRICE OUTLOOK: Prices have remained in a sideways pattern for the past month with a possible upward bias developing over the past several days. This is not a typical pattern following a major top and that may mean that further gains are possible if importers and funds keep buying. However, given the adequate world supply levels, a further boost may depend on increased stockpiling by major importers with poor populations. India continues to sit on large wheat reserves, but India may be hesitant to make a major push into the export market out of fears that this will increase food price uncertainty on the domestic front. A resumption of the downtrend leaves key support at 670 1/2 and 623 3/4 for December wheat.